Manipur Burning: A Forest Dried Up by Design and Ignited

The ongoing violence in Manipur, which began on May 3rd, remains unabated and has now reached 150 days. On May 3rd, the Anglo-Kuki War Centenary gate at Leisang, Lamka was burnt by Meitei miscreants which was followed by stone pelting and attacks on the Kukis returning from the peace rally at Torbung by the Meiteis who were enforcing violent counter blockades to the peaceful rally. The attacks at Torbung later spread to nearby Kangvai where the Meiteis burnt Kuki houses and later spread to Imphal and other areas like a wildfire. To an unassuming eye, it may seem that the ongoing violence in Manipur is simply a chain reaction of retaliation over the incidents of May 3rd. However, it has complex and deep-rooted issues. The Manipur violence is now reported and largely acknowledged to be a pre-planned and well engineered state sponsored pogrom on the Kukis spearheaded by the meitei Chief Minister Biren Singh.

The Meiteis have a long history of oppressing the Kukis, under their successive governments. Mr. Paolenlal Haokip, a Kuki MLA, in an interview with Mr. Karan Thapar on The Wire pointed out that successive Meitei governments have been violating constitutional provisions such as the bypassing of the HAC by successive governments led by the majority Meitei community. Another instance was the introduction of the infamous “3 bills” in 2015 by the meitei Government which was a sinister design to grab tribal lands. The 3 bills were later withdrawn, but not before eight Kuki-Zo civilians laid down their lives.

The disparity in allocation of the state budget between the hills and the valleys is another example of the historical oppression. The disparity in infrastructure between the hills and valley is clearly visible, with the valley crowded with government offices, institutions and good roads, while many parts of the hills still remain un-motorable.

This historical oppression got intensified during Meitei Chief Minister Biren’s second tenure. Mr. Biren has infected the meitei populace with chauvinistic, communal agendas and divisive ideas. The CM was caught on video claiming that the whole land in Manipur belongs to the Government, completely disrespecting and disregarding the history and sentiments of the hill people who have owned the hills since time immemorial. In another video he claimed that he will declare war on “this (Kuki)” people. Over the years, Biren has successfully created the “us versus them” narrative between the Meiteis and the Kukis, and has successfully fooled the Meitei community to further his agenda.

Incidentally, during the Meitei Biren Singh second tenure, many Kukis were regularly harassed by the meiteis over their lands. Many Kuki Chiefs were served notices by the meitei government alleging that they were staying within the reserved forests. Many Kukis villagers were forcibly removed by the Meitei government. There is also the meteoric rise in hatred and abuse against the Kukis by the Meiteis through the misuse and selective application of FIRs. Kukis expressing dissent over the biased Goverment polices were silenced with FIRs while the Meiteis abusing and threatening Kukis were deliberately ignored. The biased environment has birthed and harboured radical elements in Meitei society, furthering the divide and the hatred towards the Kukis. These historical oppressions provide a context to the ongoing unrest in Manipur.

Another instance of the neglect shown towards the Kukis is the disrespect for their history. Today, Meiteis’ history is highly promoted in public spaces, museums, and statues. In 1972, the Martyr’s Memorial column was erected at Khongjom. To this was added a large “open air theatre” in 1996, and a huge statue of Paona in 2000. In 1980, the Martyr’s Memorial pillar was erected near the Pologround, Imphal. A beautiful gateway with an elaborate park was added in 2006. The Bir Tikendrajit tomb complex was erected in 2006 at Hicham Yaicham Pat, Imphal, and a large statue of Thangal General was also erected at Palace Gate, Imphal in 2009. At the foot of the Paona statue at Khongjom (2000) a bronze plate reads, “Major General Paona Brajabasi, aged 58, the valiant hero of Manipur died for (his) fatherland on Thursday the 23rd April 1891. Superhuman in battle devoted unto death.” 23 April and 13 August are annually observed as “Khongjom Day” and “Patriot’s Day” respectively with statewide commemoration and a public holiday.

In sharp contrast, Kuki’s history and historical figures are largely ignored and neglected. The Kuki people of Northeast India had fought against the occupying British colonial state in 1917-1919. It was known in colonial account as “Kuki Rebellion”, which is known to be the largest, the most serious, and the most formidable war the British had fought in the entire Northeastern region of India. This is known to Kukis as the Anglo Kuki War (AKW). In 2019,  the Kukis decided to erect memorial stones in all the Kuki villages so that the memory of the valiant sacrifice of their forefathers for freedom remain immortal in their memory, and decided to inscribe “In Defense of our Ancestral Land and Freedom” on all the memorial stones. However, in contrast to the Government of India’s policy of promoting the contributions of tribal people in India’s freedom movement, and in direct insult to the Kuki community, the Government of Manipur has issued an illegal and unconstitutional order No. 2/8(1)/2016-H (L&O) dated 13/10/2019, instructing all the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendent of Police of the Districts to “remove immediately” all the “memorial stones with inscription of these words”.

It takes a spark to light a forest fire, says an old adage. But not all forests are equally prone to catch fire. While a rainforest with green and moist vegetation is less likely to catch fire, a dry forest with dry vegetation is a recipe for forest fire. Who dried the forest that is Manipur? Chief Minister Biren has already dried the forest that is Manipur by May 3rd. The radicalized meiteis were only waiting for the spark to light the fire. They pre-planned the spark which came in the form of the May 3rd incidents. Since Manipur was already a forest dried up by design by the Meitei radicals (brainwashed by the Meitei intellectuals and the Meitei CM), and the Meiteis being the dried up vegetation, it only required one spark to be lighted by the Meitei miscreants (tutored by Meitei radicals) on May 3rd to see how the ethnic pogrom, they designed, plays out.